Singapore
By Gabrielle Andres 28 Apr 2021 03:11PM (Updated: 28 Apr 2021 03:30PM )
SINGAPORE: Pre-emptive COVID-19 tests are being conducted in dormitories and worksites following a new cluster of infections at Westlite Woodlands Dormitory .
More than 5,000 workers were tested between Apr 23 and Apr 26, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Apr 28).
The tests are in addition to the routine tests conducted on dormitory residents every two weeks, and includes workers who have recovered from COVID-19 and those who have never been infected.
The move comes after 24 workers at Westlite dormitory who had recovered from COVID-19 tested positive for the disease again.
Eleven of the cases were assessed to be shedding virus fragments of old infections and five were likely cases of re-infection, said MOM. Two cases were determined to be negative after re-testing and the remaining six are pending assessment.
The Ministry of Health announced last week that recovered workers who have passed 270 days from their date of infection will also be subject to Rostered Routine Testing , due to the risk of waning immunity and threat of new coronavirus variants.
“When recovered workers are tested, we expect a proportion of them to return a positive result on the polymerase chain reaction test,” the ministry said.
However, this does not necessarily indicate re-infection among recovered workers.
“Many recovered workers can test positive because of prolonged shedding of viral fragments from an old infection,” MOM said. “These cases require further clinical assessment over several days to determine whether they are old or current infections.”
Movement restrictions or quarantines may be imposed on a dormitory if a few workers there test positive for COVID-19. The ministry said this precaution is necessary for the duration of the assessment and will be lifted when tests have concluded.
“If quarantines are imposed in some dormitories, this does not (necessarily) mean that there are confirmed clusters there,” it said. “Most of the time, it is because cases are being assessed to determine if they are old or current infections.”
DORMITORIES STEP UP SAFETY MEASURES, SUPPORT FOR WORKERS
Precautionary steps have been taken in the dormitories to protect workers who are well and to stem the risk of transmission, MOM said.
Workers can still access communal facilities and recreation centres in dormitories, with regulations in place to prevent residents from mingling. However, movement between dormitory blocks is not allowed and safe management measures have been stepped up.
“Workers have also been advised to cease social interactions with others who do not reside in the same room or floor,” the ministry said.
The Building and Construction Authority has also stepped up inspections on safe management measures at construction worksites.
The Manpower Ministry assured migrant workers that access to round-the-clock medical assistance remains available. Measures are also in place to look after their mental well-being, including counselling hotlines in their native languages.
The ministry is also coordinating support from non-governmental organisations to provide calls and care packs to affected workers.
“In addition to protecting their health and safety, these measures seek to assure our migrant worker that their livelihoods will be safeguarded,” MOM said.
“Affected workers will continue to be paid their salaries for the duration of the quarantine, and their periods of absence from work will be treated as paid hospitalisation leave as part of workers’ leave eligibility under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.”
Source: CNA/ga(cy)
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Pre-emptive COVID-19 testing at dormitories, worksites after new cases detected
View of Westlite Woodlands Dormitory on Apr 22, 2021. (Photo: Chew Hui Min)By Gabrielle Andres 28 Apr 2021 03:11PM (Updated: 28 Apr 2021 03:30PM )
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SINGAPORE: Pre-emptive COVID-19 tests are being conducted in dormitories and worksites following a new cluster of infections at Westlite Woodlands Dormitory .
More than 5,000 workers were tested between Apr 23 and Apr 26, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Apr 28).
The tests are in addition to the routine tests conducted on dormitory residents every two weeks, and includes workers who have recovered from COVID-19 and those who have never been infected.
The move comes after 24 workers at Westlite dormitory who had recovered from COVID-19 tested positive for the disease again.
Eleven of the cases were assessed to be shedding virus fragments of old infections and five were likely cases of re-infection, said MOM. Two cases were determined to be negative after re-testing and the remaining six are pending assessment.
The Ministry of Health announced last week that recovered workers who have passed 270 days from their date of infection will also be subject to Rostered Routine Testing , due to the risk of waning immunity and threat of new coronavirus variants.
“When recovered workers are tested, we expect a proportion of them to return a positive result on the polymerase chain reaction test,” the ministry said.
However, this does not necessarily indicate re-infection among recovered workers.
“Many recovered workers can test positive because of prolonged shedding of viral fragments from an old infection,” MOM said. “These cases require further clinical assessment over several days to determine whether they are old or current infections.”
READ: Dormitory residents who have recovered from COVID-19 no longer exempt from routine testing
Movement restrictions or quarantines may be imposed on a dormitory if a few workers there test positive for COVID-19. The ministry said this precaution is necessary for the duration of the assessment and will be lifted when tests have concluded.
“If quarantines are imposed in some dormitories, this does not (necessarily) mean that there are confirmed clusters there,” it said. “Most of the time, it is because cases are being assessed to determine if they are old or current infections.”
DORMITORIES STEP UP SAFETY MEASURES, SUPPORT FOR WORKERS
Precautionary steps have been taken in the dormitories to protect workers who are well and to stem the risk of transmission, MOM said.
Workers can still access communal facilities and recreation centres in dormitories, with regulations in place to prevent residents from mingling. However, movement between dormitory blocks is not allowed and safe management measures have been stepped up.
“Workers have also been advised to cease social interactions with others who do not reside in the same room or floor,” the ministry said.
The Building and Construction Authority has also stepped up inspections on safe management measures at construction worksites.
The Manpower Ministry assured migrant workers that access to round-the-clock medical assistance remains available. Measures are also in place to look after their mental well-being, including counselling hotlines in their native languages.
The ministry is also coordinating support from non-governmental organisations to provide calls and care packs to affected workers.
“In addition to protecting their health and safety, these measures seek to assure our migrant worker that their livelihoods will be safeguarded,” MOM said.
“Affected workers will continue to be paid their salaries for the duration of the quarantine, and their periods of absence from work will be treated as paid hospitalisation leave as part of workers’ leave eligibility under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.”
Source: CNA/ga(cy)
Continue reading...